


Doctor Doctor

by OleanderToxin



Category: Kamen Rider Ex-Aid
Genre: Comfort, Emotional Vulnerability, Guilt, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Medical Procedures, starting a relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-30
Updated: 2019-04-30
Packaged: 2020-02-10 07:52:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 969
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18656146
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/OleanderToxin/pseuds/OleanderToxin
Summary: Parad was hurt in a battle with Chronos, but both he and Emu need to heal from some things.  Emotional baggage can be just as painful as physical injury.Commission for a client.





	Doctor Doctor

**Author's Note:**

  * For [aquabluejay](https://archiveofourown.org/users/aquabluejay/gifts).



A shooting pain ran down his spine, the left side of his body ached with the fury of what felt like eternity. Opening his eyes, he sees a stark white ceiling, instead of the face of Chronos staring down at him. Where on earth is he? What happened?

When he turned his head to one side, he saw the IV drip connected to a butterfly needle stuck in his hand. Oh, he's in Emu's hospital... well, the hospital where Emu worked. Looking the other direction, he saw the door open, Emu walking through it with a tray in his hands. “Oh, you're awake. You took a pretty hard beating. Glad to see you're still with us.”

“How long have I been out?” Parad's hand went to his face, rubbing away the sleep from his eyes. “I feel like ass.”

“You looked like ass when I got you here. You've been sleeping for almost half a day. I've been taking care of you while you were out.” Emu took a seat next to Parad, placing the tray on the fold out table connected to the bed. On it was a small needle and syringe, a fresh roll of gauze bandages, a pair of bandage scissors, and some antiseptic cream. He must have gotten pretty banged up if Emu was going to this length.

“You don't gotta be all motherhen to me, you know. I can take care of myself.” Parad gave a huff and looked away from Emu and his hands as the other set to work.

“I wouldn't have to be a motherhen if you'd stop running off on your own and getting targeted by Masamune. You got to trust me a little more.” Emu's face remained steady as he worked, unwinding the old bandages to clean the cuts and scrapes.

“I had it covered, I just made a misstep is all.” Parad frowned, turning his head back to look at Emu and his hands as he worked.

“Misstep meaning you got hit by one of Masamune's saw blades when he attacked with Critical Sacrifice, right? Because that wasn't really a misstep,” Emu looked over to Parad as he finished unwinding the gauze that covered his arm. The bruise looked gruesome, a green-yellow pallor across his arm with spotted blue and black, while cuts were beginning to heal. It wasn't so bad when he got Parad there, but thanks to the hyperhealing Bugsters had, the bruising looked worse. “Hold still, I've got to clean your cuts.”

Parad looked over as Emu worked, wincing in pain as the antiseptic seeped into his wounds; cleaning it but causing the area to sting. It felt as if his skin were burning. Looking back from Emu's hands to his face, he watched as the other tended to his arm with careful concentration. He felt ashamed watching it. Here Emu was, trying so hard to keep him safe and healthy, and he had to spit it back in his face.

It wasn't long since it was the other way around for them, Emu injured and Parad being the one to have caused it. He felt the pit in his stomach grow. Was this guilt? Was he feeling guilty for having hurt Emu?

Emu had betrayed him, he deserved it... But even still, here he was, tending to him like nothing had ever happened before.

Picking up the clean set of gauze wrappings, Emu set to work bandaging Parad's arm up. He felt conflicted like this. Parad kept getting into dangerous situations and coming out more often on the losing end. Even against himself. How often did the two of them fight against one another with Emu putting Parad in his place? He pursed his lips as he felt his stomach drop at the thought. Did Parad resent him for that?

Snip, and as Emu finished wrapping Parad's arm in gauze, he put away the scissors. Before he could stand up, he wanted to say something. What to say...

“ _I want to talk to you about--_ ”

A cacophonous noise between the two of them as they spoke at the same time. Parad and Emu's eyes locked with one another's and their cheeks burned brightly with embarrassment.

“You go first,” Parad barely managed to get out without stuttering. What a mess this was.

Emu swallowed, nodding, giving Parad a quick once over before continuing. “I'm just, I wanted to say I'm sorry. For everything before. You didn't deserve what I did and you're still here next to me despite all that. I really appreciate you for doing this.”

Parad looked at Emu intently, watching as the shade of red on his cheeks spread to the tips of his ears. He really meant it. “Funny you should say that, I was going to say the same thing.” He scratched the tip of his nose while looking away, attempting to seem aloof while talking about his emotions. “You didn't have to keep by my side. Yet, here you are. I really appreciate you for what you're doing and what you're trying to do. It's pretty heroic.”

A smile warmed itself on Emu's lips, and he looked up at Parad, who was staring at him from the corner of his eyes. “Wow, coming from you, I guess I ought to believe it.”

Slowly, Parad turned his arm so that his palm was facing upwards, holding it out to Emu with a gentle grin. “Partners?”

Emu took it without a moment of hesitation, his fingers lacing together with Parad's. “Partners.”

There are many challenges down the road. Many prices to pay. As long as they had each other though, Emu thought, they would be able to take on whatever the world threw at them. They'll take on their problems one step at a time in tandem. Together, nothing was impossible.


End file.
